Legislation Netherlands

Donation:

Since 1998 the Act on Organ Donation (WOD) exists in the Netherlands. Furthermore, in 2003 the Act on the Quality and Safety of Body material (WVKL) was implemented, based on EU Directive 2003/24/EC. In 2006, this act was supplemented with the Resolution for Body Constituents. The described legal requirements were again adjusted in 2012 to implement EU Directive 2010/53/EC.

Organ donation is a mixed opting in / opting out system: at age 18 everyone is asked to register his will (permission, objection, decision by the next of kin or a designated person); in case no will is available in the national registry, permission should be asked from the next of kin.

Cornea / Tissue banking:

Accreditation as an Organ Bank by the Ministry of Health as the competent authority is required.

Inspection of Organ Banks is performed once every two years by the Health Care Inspectorate (IGZ).

Accredited Organ Banks process tissues and are responsible for the quality and safety, which includes all processes from donor tissue recovery to distribution of the transplants.

Donor selection and screening and tissue allocation are performed by the Dutch Transplantation Foundation, which holds an accreditation as an Organ Center.